M
Mike Wehner
Guest
If you've never heard of the mollusk Cryptochiton stelleri, it's totally understandable. I actually hadn't heard of it before either, but a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has made the strange creature one of my new favorites. The marine animal is a type of chiton, which are mollusks that are oval-shaped and covered with armor-like shell plates. They cruise around on the seafloor, slowly making their way from one food source to the next.
Cryptochiton stelleri is special for a few reasons. For one, it looks like a giant blob of meat, earning it the nickname "wandering meatloaf." But the even more interesting thing is that its teeth are ridiculously hard. Now, scientists studying the teeth recently discovered that the animal's teeth contain a type of mineral that, previous to this new finding, had only been identified in rocks. The fact that this type of chiton has the mineral in its teeth was entirely unexpected, but also very exciting.
Today's Top Deal
AirPods Pro are back in stock at Amazon's lowest price of 2021!
Price: $197.00
You Save: $52.00 (21%)
Buy Now
Continue reading...
Today's Top Deals
- People go nuts over these real diamond earrings on Amazon – and they’re only $60
- How to get $25 in free Amazon credit to spend on Prime Day 2021
- This crazy camouflage tent on Amazon is transparent from inside, and it’s making my brain hurt
- Today’s best deals: Free $15 Amazon credit, $60 diamond earrings, $100 smart TV, $60 foldable drone, $16 blender, more
Trending Right Now:
- Is time travel real? People are flipping out over this 1860 painting that appears to show an iPhone
- A new secret benefit is coming that’s even better than stimulus checks
- If your iPhone’s battery life sucks after updating to iOS 14.6, try this
This bizarre ‘wandering meatloaf’ is alive and has ridiculous teeth originally appeared on BGR.com on Wed, 2 Jun 2021 at 23:34:47 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Via BRG - Boy Genius Report